


In My Arms

by Meinhiding



Series: Karedevil fics [25]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Karen is having a bad time, Matt is there for her, Murdock Nelson and Page, Nightmares, love and support, story telling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:25:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meinhiding/pseuds/Meinhiding
Summary: Karen is having a bad time because of a specific date on the calendar. She opens up, and Matt listens to her and helps her sleep.





	In My Arms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [steelorchids](https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelorchids/gifts).



> Title from a beautiful song by Muse, Starlight.

Days were busier than they had expected. Foggy’s acknowledged career, Karen’s courageous articles at The Bulletin and Matt’s charm had _Nelson, Murdock & Page_ full of clients. Everyone’s heart was full of hope. 

But Karen was exhausted. Apart from her demanding job as an investigator, she had also had a few late meetings with Ellison on the sly. And all those never ending days of meetings and investigations were catching up with her. Nothing she was not used to, but there was something else this time: she had spent a couple of weeks trying not to look at a specific date on the calendar, feeling it getting closer and closer. That’s what was really bothering her.

“I thought this meeting was never going to end” were her first words when she arrived and closed the door behind her. 

She knew he was there, waiting for her to come home. She had phoned him to tell him that her meeting with Ellison was finally over and that he should make good use of that key she had given him a few days before. He had smiled at that thought as he pictured himself setting the table while waiting for her. Being at her apartment without her implied a level of intimacy they were still getting used to. Their friendship and their love story had been misted up with secrets and lies since the beginning, but not anymore. 

“I brought some Indian food,” he announced when she entered the living-room.

Her face lit up when she saw him getting some plates out of her cabinet and arranging the take out he had bought for them. She also noticed the backpack he had left on the sofa. _I should ask him to keep one of his black suits here_. She sighed. She had hoped maybe he would not be wearing it that night. 

“Is everything ok?” He asked, feeling her discomfort.

“Sort of.” No more lies. “But first, food. I’m starving.”

He nodded. 

He had thought maybe it was better if she was left alone for the night. That’s why after she had phoned him, he rushed to his apartment and put his black suit in a backpack— _I should probably ask her to keep one at her place_ –. She needed a good night’s sleep. Too much work and tension lately. Even Karen Page needed some rest.

But that _sort of_ made him change his mind. He was not going anywhere.

“So, how was the meeting?”

“Longer than I expected,” she said and paused to chew, “but I’m sure the article will help us beat them in court,” she added winking an eye at him.

“Don’t you miss it?” He asked, wondering if that was what was bothering her.

“What?” She took a sip of her wine. “Working at The Bulletin?” 

He nodded.

“Sure, sometimes. But I love the work we do together, Matt. It feels so good to see those people’s faces when they realise they finally have someone who’ll listen to them, who’ll fight for them.” She explained smiling. “Also I get to see you more.” That brought a huge smile on his face. “Plus–” She took a forkful of rice. “My name looks great on that plaque.” 

He laughed. 

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I do know I’m glad we got you back.” 

She bit her lip to prevent a smile.

Once the food was over, Karen made a gesture as to get up to clear the table, but Matt shook his head and told her to sit on the sofa instead. He knew she definitely needed to rest.

“So...,” she said as she got up, “anywhere in particular you need to be tonight?”

“Not really,” he lied, “I thought maybe I could stay for the night.”

Her face lit up and she sighed of relief. 

“I would love that,” she added on her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. 

A few minutes later, she was lying on the sofa, her eyes closed. “If only I could get a good night‘s sleep…”

“Are you having nightmares again?”

“Sort of.”

That _sort of_ again. 

He had to do something about it. She was obviously going through something but he was not sure if she was ready to open up yet. She usually needed to take it in by herself first. _I won’t push her, I’ll just tell her I’m here for her_.

A little moan, her body relaxing and then her breathing changed. _She’s finally falling asleep_ , he thought happily. He reconsidered if he should talk to her. _Maybe tomorrow morning. She sounds so peaceful now. I’ll just take her to bed_. 

He smiled at the thought of holding her in his arms, carrying her to bed. As if he was the groom and she was the bride. _You’re going too fast again_. She used to be the one taking the first steps, but his wishes were almost always a few steps ahead of hers.

Her heartbeat was racing and her muscles were getting tenser. _Another nightmare_. He lowered his head and dried his hands. 

He tiptoed towards her even though he was about to wake her up.

“Babe,” he whispered bending down to kiss her forehead, “you’re having another nightmare.”

“Hmm” she muttered and yawned.

“Let’s go to bed.”

“But the dishes–?”

“I already took care of it. Come here,” he said taking her hand.

She let him guide her, her eyes still closed. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said heading to the bathroom while she changed her clothes and made herself comfortable in bed.

By the time he was back and out of his suit, she was already asleep. He slid inside the bed careful not to wake her up, but it seemed that her peaceful dream was turning into a bad dream again.

“It’s ok,” he said snuggling against her back, “I’m here with you,” he added softly.

She turned around and he moved to accommodate her in his arms. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

He could hear her thinking, considering what she should do. It took her a few seconds, but when he was about to say that she didn’t have to, that he would wait, she spoke out.

“I never got to tell you about my brother, did I?”

“I assumed you would tell me whenever you were ready.”

She raised her head to look at him and kissed him tenderly.

“You’ve been through so much, sweetheart,” he added, “I don’t want you to go through all those memories again unless you think it’s going to help you.”

“Tomorrow would be his birthday,” she said moving upwards to sit, her back against the headboard. 

He moved to sit next to her.

“It seems like a different life, when mom was still alive and we were a happy family.” She gulped holding back some tears and he held one of her hands in between his. “Well, as happy as you can be in a place like that,” she added with a sad laugh.

She rested her head on his shoulder and soon started to wipe away some tears.

He heard the whole story: her mum’s cancer, the broom closet that she pretended was a spaceship, her dad delegating it all on her, their financial problems, how she got involved in drugs and into a bad relationship… and then her brother’s death. 

He moved to face her and took her in his arms, hugging her, kissing her wherever he could reach. The more he knew about her, the more he loved her. 

“Karen, you did what you did only because you were trying to save him.”

“But, I didn’t. I–” she bit her lower lip as her tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

“I know you didn’t, but he did. He saved you instead.” 

She held onto him tightly and he kissed her neck and her shoulder again and again, soothing her. Picturing her as a little girl, curled into a ball, hidden inside a broom closet, was breaking his heart. All he wanted to do was comfort her. 

“Can I tell you a story?” He asked some minutes later, when he felt her breathing change. 

She let out a laugh and he smiled.

“A story?” She asked.

He nodded.

“It might help you sleep,” he added.

“Ok,” she sighed moving to lie down.

He lied down facing her and placed his arm around her.

“This is not just any story,” he explained kissing her forehead, “it’s the story of the most incredible, the bravest astronaut of all times,” his hand moved to caress the muscles in her back and she started to relax with his very first touch.

“This girl, because only a little girl could be this brave,” he felt her smile and mirrored it with his, “well, she could see the amazing beauty of the blue sky even when she was surrounded by nothing but darkness. That’s how astonishing she was.” 

He kissed the top of her head and felt her relaxing a bit.

“But she was too bright to be seen. Everyone around her was blinded whenever she was around.”

He stopped, just for a second, and she made an inquiring sound, asking for more. 

“Of course, she always felt alone, so alone that she had to lock herself inside a closet. And there, there she would fly far, far away inside an imaginary spaceship.”

His hand kept moving, knowing how to touch the muscles in her back to help her sleep. 

“But she wasn’t traveling with nothing but the clothes on her back, she had some ginger snaps and a lot of dreams to chase.”

He felt the changes in her heart and in her breathing pattern. She was finally falling asleep.

“She dreamed of nicer planets, of black holes and of magical shooting stars,” he added, still caressing her back. 

He knew she was no longer listening, but his story was not over yet.

“What she did not know is that somewhere else, a few hundred miles away, there was a blind boy that was dreaming of a blinding star like her.”


End file.
